


Dark Alley

by goroneko1998 (goroneko)



Category: Magnus Chase - Fandom, The Heroes of Olympus - Rick Riordan
Genre: Brotp, Crossover, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-05-22
Updated: 2015-05-22
Packaged: 2018-03-31 16:50:57
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,334
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3985588
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/goroneko/pseuds/goroneko1998
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In the first year of his homeless life, Magnus bumps into Nico, who is on his way to the Doors of Death.<br/>Takes place around Son of Neptune, after Nico left Camp Jupiter.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Dark Alley

**Author's Note:**

> Crack broship thing that ended up being 2k words of realizing the pain of being Nico di Angelo all over again.  
> PS: Seeing as how we know barely anything about Magnus I just made up some stuff lmao

  Magnus zipped up his bag and slung it over his shoulders, tucking his collar into his jacket. His shaggy blond hair hung over his face in clumps as he made his way back downtown. It was another cold night, and it was rather dark even on the streets. Anyone that saw him slumping down the path instantly veered aside towards the other pavement - of course, Magnus was aware that he didn't exactly look like your boy next door type.

 _That's right,_ Magnus thought gloomily, _get away from the poor homeless kid that would be spending another night under the bridge._ Not like he wanted anyone to notice him or anything - the owner of those apples was still out for blood. He would lay low for a while, but he didn’t regret stealing those. They had been delicious. Plus, the store owner was had been an ass to that old lady - he couldn't really feel bad for that.

  Quietly, he turned into an alley, opting for a shortcut. What he didn't expect was the sudden waft of… was that a cheeseburger? His stomach protested. He hadn't had McDonalds for two months, let alone any fries nor soda. Apples were a poor substitute for the cheap, processed meat, but it was the latter that seemed so much more appealing.

  Picking up speed, he headed towards the smell, further into the alley. As he turned a corner, he saw a sight that weirded him out even more than the glowing blue eyes in his doorway had.

  A young boy - probably younger than him by a couple of years - was standing by an earthy pit in the alley, muttering under his breath as he unwrapped a Happy Meal bag. He was dressed in what looked like a battered aviator’s jacket, wearing ripped, black jeans and a skull shirt that looked too big for him. He looked like a kid that lived off the streets, yet he didn't.

  Magnus moved forwards, only for the younger boy to turn around, glaring at him - Magnus held back a yelp as he stepped back. The boy had moved impossibly fast.

  "Who are you?" the boy asked in a low voice. On closer inspection, he had dark eyes and hair as shaggy and long as his own, but his skin was a sallow shade that made his cheekbones stand out. On his hip was a chain belt, a short, black sword hanging from it.

  "Dude, chill," Magnus said hastily, eyeing the sword. "That thing looks sharp. Where did you get it?"

  "I asked you a question," the boy demanded, his eyes narrowing. But suddenly he frowned, tilting his head at him. "You… can see the sword." It wasn't a question. 

  "Yes, especially since… well, it's in my sight," Magnus admitted. He stared at the kid - now that he looked at him, he had scratches on his face, and his jacket looked rather battered. "Rough day, kid? You shouldn't be going around these alleys - they're dark and dangerous."

  "Believe me, I _know_ what's dark and dangerous," the boy snorted. "These alleys aren't. You're the one that should be careful."

  "I've had my days," Magnus said stonily, feeling a little annoyed. He hadn't expected the kid to be such a type - he preferred it when kids acted their age and ran away from scary places. This kid however looked like someone that people would run away _from_. He had a brooding, dark aura to him that gave Magnus the chills.

  The boy lowered his hand, which had been travelling to his sword, his face still suspicious. "Are you a demigod? Roman? Greek? I can't tell - you look like a homeless person."

  "Uh - no kidding?" Magnus said sarcastically. But his heart jumped at the word demigod - did this boy have anything to do with what had happened to him?

  "No... You’re different," the boy said, his scowl growing deeper. "Your soul… it has no place in the Underworld. Not Elysium or even Tartarus. You've never been reincarnated nor judged."

  Underworld… Elysium… Tartarus.

  Demigod.

  Magnus took a step back, eyeing the boy. "You're a Greek demigod?" he asked, trying not to sound nervous. It wouldn’t be the strangest thing he heard – in fact, it would explain a lot about certain disasters that had wrecked New York City a year ago. "I mean… well - with that getup, you don't really look Greek."

  "Yeah, and with that getup, you totally don't look like a homeless person," the boy replied sarcastically. He held up his hands.  "Dad must be testing me again. First the camps… now this. I don't think you're a threat, so let's talk. You're either from the pharaohs bloodline... or…" His voice trailed off as he stared at Magnus, his dark eyes glinting.

  A phrase triggered in Magnus's mind. "Wolves," he blurted out. "My… my mother... Well, we were attacked by these… things. Not... really wolves. I've been on the run for a year now." He struggled for any other phrase - one popped up, and he hastily tried to pronounce it correctly. "Yggdrasil, I think? Something in connection with that."

  The boy's eyebrows lifted. "Norse," he muttered. "That's new. Though when you mentioned wolves I would have taken you for a Roman." He eyed Magnus and followed his gaze to the Happy Meal he was holding. Something changed in his expression, and he held the bag up. "Want some?"

  "Can I?" Magnus asked, hardly daring to believe it.

  The boy smiled ever so slightly. "I know what it's like to be on the run. I was going to summon some zombies, but I guess I can spare a couple - wouldn't want you to join the dead."

 

  His name was Nico. He was a Greek demigod who travelled about, never staying too long in one place. He was the son of Hades, the Greek god of the Underworld. At least, that's what he told him. And Magnus believed him.

  When he said his name, Nico looked a little weirded out - like come on, he knew his name was strange - but he managed to keep a poker face. But Magnus lived on the streets - he knew how to spot expressions. Unfortunately his stomach took priority, and he busied himself with stuffing a cheeseburger into his mouth.

  "Magnus…" Nico said as he sipped a Coke. "Do you have any other relatives?"

  Magnus chewed thoughtfully. He didn't really want to think about his family, but he knew he had relatives. "A couple on Long Island I think. But this is Boston - no Boston kid would ever go there."

  "You're right," Nico muttered, shaking his Coke straw. "Now is a particularly bad time for Long Island… with the gods refusing contact and all.. I'd say my dad the better one compared to those buffoons up in Olympus."

  Thunder rumbled in the sky.

  "I've been travelling for a while now," Nico continued, picking at a fry. "There's some leads about an entrance to the Underworld, so I'm heading there."

  "You…?" Magnus stared at Nico until the kid realized he was confused.

  "Ah - sorry. I can't exactly tell you much," Nico said uncomfortably. He glanced at Magnus, who was still stuffing his face. "What brings you out here anyway? Norse gods being all stuffy?"

  "I don't even know any Norse gods," Magnus replied offhandedly. "It's… well, a complicated thing. You wouldn't understand."

  Nico almost looked amused – it was hard to tell. "You want complicated? I'm from the 1930s, how's that for complicated."

  Magnus choked on his fries as he looked at Nico. "So… you are... how old..?"

  "Thirteen going on fourteen," Nico replied casually, picking at the silver skull ring on his finger. "I choose to ignore the seven or so decades in between, it's easier. It wasn't very long anyway - time altering places aren't really advisable to enter though."

  "Ri…right," Magnus muttered. This kid was - supposedly - older than him, but he couldn't help thinking of him as… well, just a _kid_.

  "So what are you summoning zombies for?" he continued as casually as he could, as if he was asking a question about the weather.

  Nico's expression turned dark. "I'm looking for the House of Hades… the Doors of Death. With the Greeks and Romans in this condition, we might have more than one war on our hands." He glanced at Magnus, who was wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. "Of course, that has nothing to do with you."

  "Let me guess - eternal doom and world destruction if the enemy wins?" Magnus guessed.

  "You sure know a lot about destroying," Nico said, looking unamused. "Are you sure you're not one of Gaia's pawns?"

  "Believe me, I'd know if I was one," Magnus snorted. "I wouldn't be pickpocketing people for a living if some god was my boss."

  Nico shrugged. "Pawns come in all shapes and sizes. It's rare for someone to not be used for something. The gods are famous for that, no matter what type."

  "Well if a god is using me as a pawn, I'll return the favour nine times over," Magnus grunted, picking at his cold fries. "I'm not exactly one to mess with."

  "I'm sure," Nico replied, his tone sounding sincere. Magnus glanced at him - for a moment their eyes met, and he realized Nico's eyes looked too tired and weary for a kid - they looked different than any homeless person, too dark and too full of anguish. He wondered what Nico had gone through to bear the pain of such monumental amounts, and how he was able to hide all of that.

  "Hey-" both boys had spoken at the same time, and hastily stopped.   

  "After you," Magnus said, gesturing to Nico.

  Nico stared at the shadows crossing his feet, looking almost guilty. "I… don't really trust other people. I don't belong anywhere, nor will I ever fit in. I guess it feels good to talk to someone who doesn't care about my origins."

  A screw in Magnus's chest seemed to wind up tightly. _Dammit Magnus_ , he chided himself - what was he doing, sympathising with some weird Greek demigod?

  Yet… he held his hands up in a friendly gesture. "Hey man, I know that feeling. Being homeless and all - nowhere really seems like a safe place to you. Nowhere can be home. You get off doing bad stuff but that's how you stay alive."

  Nico huddled up, resting his chin on his knees. He looked so small all of a sudden, the large aviator jacket burying him within. "I… I'm not exactly a good person either," he mumbled. "Death and darkness... that's my birth right. It's not black and white - it's just all a grey slate to me. I'd do anything to keep hi- them safe, even if I should.. you know."

  The way he spoke sounded like he was troubled over morality issues. Magnus knew that - he lived his life on the street everyday with them.

  "I think that's fine," Magnus said, shrugging. "I mean - you have a goal. You have people you care about enough to protect. I don't get this Greek Roman thing, but Doors of Death doesn't exactly sound family friendly. For a kid like you to go to that extent, I'm impressed. I don't see why you should be upset about protecting the people you love."

  "You think so?" Nico looked up, his dark hair falling over his face. "I… I don't know. There are a lot of things going on, and I hate having to think about unnecessary things. It keeps controlling me - I don't need this kind of feelings, especially when I know I won't get anything in return."

  There was a tone of guilty bitterness to his voice that Magnus couldn't comprehend. He didn't know exactly what to say - like come on, he had been on the street since he was fourteen like Nico.

  "I think…" Magnus said slowly, "that you shouldn't feel too bad about it. If it's what you decided to do, you should go ahead and do it. Don't think about what you should get in return if you know that you're not expecting anything, and that'll be better."

  Nico laughed bitterly. "Had that experience a lot?"

  "You could say that." Magnus shot him what he hoped look like a friendly smile. "It ain't so bad, kid. You'll be alright."

  "You too," Nico said unexpectedly. He returned the smile with an awkward one of his own. "Life on the streets isn't too bad when you got the dead as company."

  Magnus shuddered, then chuckled dryly. This kid had a warped sense of humour, but that was what he liked. Nico was a good kid.

  "Well, I'd best be on my way," Nico said after a moment of quiet. He stood up and held out his hand to Magnus to shake - his fingers were ice cold. "It was nice to talk to someone who isn't a monster. I trust you to keep this to yourself."

  "I don’t have anyone to tell, kid. Nice to meet someone who isn't out to kill me or throw me in jail," Magnus said, smiling despite himself - his stiff muscles twitched as he tried for a broad, friendly grin. "Stay safe, Nico."

  "You too, Magnus" Nico said, stepping back into the shadows of the alley. His silver ring glinted even in the darkness. "Don't get yourself killed, now."

  "I'll try not to," Magnus joked. Nico gave him a quick, half-smile before he fell backwards, vanishing into the shadows. Before he disappeared completely, he turned to look at Magnus.

  "I never got your last name," he said. "I'm Nico di Angelo."

  "Chase," Magnus called out. "Magnus Chase."

  Briefly before Nico disappeared, he saw the boy's face twist into an expression of shock. He managed to call out "-beth-" before he vanished.

  "Who?" he said aloud, but Nico was gone. He stood there staring at the dark shadows before shaking his head and turning to go look for another place to sleep.

  Maybe the dark alleys weren't as safe as he thought.

**Author's Note:**

> Do leave a kudos/comment if you enjoyed it!


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